Baker’s Dozen: Time Will Tell Where Rose’s Legacy Ends Up

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 5: Derrick Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls looks on during the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on October 5, 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: 2013 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

Derrick Rose. (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

By Ryan Baker-

(CBS) As many of us we gather around the table on Thursday to count our blessings, I’m sure the cynical Chicago sports fan in us will be secretly saying to ourselves, “thanks for nothing.”

Such a cold and callous attitude seems a bit ungrateful considering the city is still celebrating another Stanley Cup Championship, not to mention the fact that the Blackhawks remain a first-place team.

All of those warm and fuzzy feelings have frozen over, after a gut-wrenching weekend.

It began late Friday night with the eerily familiar sight of Derrick Rose being helped off of the court in Portland, and ended with the Bears getting Ram-rodded in St. Louis.

As feeble and inept as the Bears looked, especially on defense, they still have life at 6-5 in a watered-down division. The future looks much bleaker for D-Rose, who’s once again facing arduous rehab after going under the knife for the second time in 19 months.

While it wasn’t an ACL tear like the one he suffered in his surgically repaired left knee, reattaching the meniscus in his right knee means another lost season for the former MVP. And for the Bulls. I hope you kept your receipt for the “Return.”

It’s over after just 10 mediocre regular season games. It seems unfair that the fairy tale story of the Rose which bloomed from the mean streets of Englewood has taken such a tragic turn. No. 1 draft pick in his hometown. Rookie of the Year. Youngest MVP in league history.

Was it all too good to be true?

Maybe this hurts more because Derrick is one of our own, and we’ve watched him grow up since he was a super talented but shy kid winning state championships at Simeon not so long ago.

At the tender age of 25, he may have sadly reached a crossroads of his spectacular, but short pro basketball career. It’s a shame that many think of him now as injury-prone and overpaid, instead of the explosive, athletic freak who electrified the NBA. I remember the same being said about Penny Hardaway after his knees gave out. Grant Hill, too.

I covered both players when I worked in Orlando back in the 90’s and early 2000’s. They persevered through the pain, but never consistently regained their All-Star form once their bodies betrayed them.

Time will tell if Derrick Rose has the physical and more important mental toughness to overcome this latest slap of adversity after experiencing so much early success.

Ryan Baker serves as CBS 2 Chicago′s lead sports anchor on the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. weekday newscasts.
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Baker joined CBS 2 Chicago from WMAQ-TV in Chicago, where he had worked as an anchor and reporter since...